Guerlain will launch Idylle Eau Sublime, a new flanker to 2009’s Idylle, in September. Idylle Eau Sublime follows the recent Idylle Duet…
Guerlain Heritage ~ fragrance review
At the current stage of my perfume “obsession,” I rarely buy perfume. (Most of my time, and skin, is reserved for new fragrance samples, and I really don’t need any perfume until I use up some of what I already own.) When I first became a perfume-maniac, I bought, often unsniffed, everything in sight. If I liked a fragrance house, I’d work my way through all their masculine offerings. Sometimes, a beautiful ad in a magazine or the sighting of an interesting perfume bottle was all it took to “make” me head to the store and buy a fragrance — and hope for the best. Long, long ago that’s how I came to know Guerlain Héritage: I loved Guerlain and the Héritage bottle* so I bought it!
Héritage, created by perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain, was released in 1992; it includes notes of lemon, bergamot, lavender, coriander, pink pepper, patchouli, cedar, vanilla and tonka bean. Héritage opens with lots of bergamot and lavender, a creamy, not astringent, blend. As the scent dries on skin, lavender becomes more noticeable and herbal. Pepper and coriander notes are subdued but add a “gleam” to the perfume. Héritage’s heart and base are almost ‘one’; after its opening, Héritage heads directly to its destination: a shimmering, “golden” amber composed of balmy cedar, a touch of musk, patchouli and vanilla (with some lingering lavender). Héritage is a well-gauged/low-impact scent — there is no startling “blast-off” and there is no bumpy landing…
Guerlain Rosa Blanca ~ new fragrance
Guerlain has launched Rosa Blanca, the second addition to the 2011 Aqua Allegoria range. Rosa Blanca is a limited edition fruity floral perfume…
Guerlain Jasminora ~ perfume review
Jasminora is the latest addition to the Aqua Allegoria range at Guerlain. You old-timers already know the drill: the Aqua Allegorias were introduced in 1999 as a youth-oriented, (relatively) reasonably priced line that was supposed to showcase particular natural materials; they generally add two new light-and-summery fragrances a year, and only those that do well hang around (they’re essentially limited editions). Some years I like them and some years I don’t, but I do own a few of them, in fact, most of the modern-day Guerlains in my collection are from this range — I own Herba Fresca, Anisia Bella and Mandarine Basilic, and if a cheap bottle of Laurier Réglisse came my way, I’d buy that one too.
Last year, if I’m not mistaken, was the first time they released Aqua Allegoria fragrances that weren’t named for specific notes. Flora Nymphéa and Bouquet Numéro 1 were mixed florals, although only the first one went into general distribution in the US. This year, they’re back to form with Jasminora, which is a light summery jasmine. It’s in what I think of as perfumer Thierry Wasser’s “young, fresh and dewy” style, in fact, it has a lot in common with Flora Nymphéa (and by extension, Idylle) although it’s very clearly focused on the jasmine note…
Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial ~ perfume review
Guerlain has done flankers of Shalimar before (Shalimar Ode à la Vanille, Fleur de Shalimar, Eau de Shalimar, Shalimar Light and Shalimar Eau Légère, to name just the ones I’ve posted about). They tend to make some perfumistas cranky, because, well, it’s Shalimar, right? It’s like messing with the Mona Lisa or something.
But sometimes they’re quite nice. Many people, including me, liked the recent Ode à la Vanille, although personally I agreed with Kevin that regular old Shalimar was still the better fragrance. I very much liked Shalimar Eau Légère despite the fact that it was clearly Shalimar aimed at people who most probably wouldn’t wear real Shalimar: younger people, perhaps, or just people who liked lighter, cleaner fragrances.
Shalimar Parfum Initial, the latest, ups the ante: it was reportedly developed by Guerlain house perfumer Thierry Wasser at the request of his niece, who wanted a Shalimar she could wear. I took her request to mean that Eau de Shalimar, the latest of the “Shalimar, lightened up” flankers, was perhaps a bit too mature — or just not trendy enough? — for her 17 years…